Page 2 of Wade

“It’s okay for you to say you miss me too.”

“I certainly do not miss the nagging.”

“Take that back.”

She smiled and felt the heaviness inside her chest getting lighter. “Make me.” Settling back against the pillows, she sighed softly. “I am happy you are coming home. It seems I cannot sleep without you next to me.”

“Have you given any thought to what we discussed?”

“No. And we are not going to talk about it now.”

“When I get home.” There was a steely inflection in his voice that she recognized.

“I have no doubt we will,” she told him dryly.

“Go back to sleep baby. I love you.”

This time the jolt was much bigger and stole her breath. “Um- well. Okay.”

“I thought we were past that.” His voice held a tinge of exasperation. “You are not going to choke on the words.”

“You are far away,” she said foolishly.

“And?”

“I am sure the distance is giving you some perspective. There are so many beautiful women in Italy.”

The silence stretched between them and she knew she had managed to piss him off.

“I will see you later today.”

“Wade-“ she began, but was talking to a dead phone. She thought about calling him back, but decided to make him cool off. He was Wade Bramwell, six foot three inches of gorgeous male with sable brown hair and light green eyes.

On top of that, he was a multi-billionaire with the most elaborate hotels all over the world. She was just – she was just her. A plus sized black woman with enough baggage to fill a carousel. She was still trying to grasp the idea of them being a couple.

She had seen the looks thrown at them whenever they went out in public. And did not have to be a mind-reader to know that people were wondering what he was doing with her. And now- She shook her head as she slid off the huge bed, descending the steps onto gray carpeting that swallowed her feet up to the ankles.

Making her way to the gold and cream bathroom, she sat on the lip of the tub large enough to hold a dozen people, and simply allowed the memories to come tumbling back.

They had met at the hotel he had just purchased. She had put in a bid and been hired to do the interior. Something she had dreamed of but never thought would happen.

He had come in to look at her design and something had passed between them, that something she had forcibly put out of her head.

He was Wade Bramwell and there was no way in hell a man like him would ever give her a second look.

But to her shock and surprise, he had approached her and invited her out to dinner.

“To discuss the designs. I have some ideas.”

“We could discuss them at your office.”

He had smiled at that, just a slight curving of his very sensuous lips that had her heart jittering inside her chest.

“Or right here,” he said, indicating the newly renovated hotel. “The chef is already here; we might as well use him.”

She had succumbed cautiously because she desperately needed the contract. She had also been surprised that she felt at ease with him, the conversation ranging from her choice of colors and fabrics for the room and the fact that she only had one staff member.

“I outsource whenever I have a huge project. But mostly, I prefer to work independently and I usually know what I want.”

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